Almost 6,000 motorists were penalised for using their phones in first four weeks

Police forces in Britain penalised almost 6,000 motorists for the offence in the four weeks after tougher punishments took effect – one every seven minutes.

Campaigners claimed the “worrying” findings suggest many drivers are ignoring repeated warnings about the dangers of using phones at the wheel despite a string of publicity campaigns and the risk of harsher sanctions.

Twenty-two people were killed and 99 seriously injured in accidents on Britain’s roads in 2015 where a motorist using a mobile was a contributory factor, Department for Transport figures show.

As from March 1, those who fall foul of the rules face getting six points on their licence and a £200 fine, up from the previous penalty of three points and £100.

The changes mean new drivers risk losing their licence for sending a single text.

Calls for efforts to curb illegal mobile phone use intensified in the wake of a string of high-profile cases and research indicating that it is widespread.

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New drivers risk losing their license

Figures obtained following Freedom of Information requests show police forces recorded 5,977 instances of the practice the four weeks after the clampdown was rolled out alongside a nationwide police campaign.

Incidents reported by police after the tougher penalties were introduced included:

A man spotted doing his online banking while driving along the M5 near Birmingham;

Norfolk Police stopping a woman who was responding to a message about her lost puppy being found;

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22 Driving laws you might have broken without realising

A lorry driver fined for texting while on the M2 in Kent; l A 7.5-tonne lorry driven around a roundabout in Bournemouth by a man who was using his phone;

A driver on his phone while behind the wheel of a school minibus with 10 children on board in Manchester.

The RAC Foundation described the increased penalties as “a start”, but warned the figures for March suggest “the key message still isn’t sinking in”.

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The actual figure is likely to be higher

Director Steve Gooding said: “Driving is a safety-critical activity that requires our full attention. Hands need to be on the wheel and eyes looking out of the windscreen, not down at the phone screen.”

Road safety charity Brake spokesman Jack Kushner bemoaned the number of drivers “selfishly using their mobile phones behind the wheel”.

The charity wants the £200 fine to be “significantly increased” to deter offenders.